The Battle of Piacenza North Italy 16th June 1746

This article is my personal interpretation of the battle. Any mistakes are my own.

Through Political chicanery, the Piedmontese Monarch Charles Emmanuel  and his Ministers had managed to wrest control of their territory from Spain and fool the French.

The Austrians, having been forced into a Peace Agreement with Frederick of Prussia, were now free to concentrate on their holdings in Northern Italy. Having lost Silesia, the Empress was in no mood for any peace talks with the Spanish.

The Spanish troops made for Piacenza, because General Gages was under strict orders not to give up the City-State. The younger son of the Spanish Monarchy should not loose his Kingdom.

The French were still tied to the Familial Treaty and the French General Maillebois had been given orders to second Don Philippe.

Camped south of the glassis of the Piacenza defenses, Gages knew that battle was imminent. The defensive walls of the city were in a bad state of repair.

 Therefore he bent all his efforts into fortifying the camp. The Spanish troops under his command numbered 25,000 men. Disease and desertion had taken its toll.

When the French Army arrived, its numbers diminished in a similar fashion, Gages could muster about 40,000 men in total. There were 10,000 Piedmontese trailing the French with a distinct lack of enthusiasm for direct battle.

With this in mind, Maillebois  persuaded Gages to go on the attack rather than sit on the defensive. Battle commenced on the morning of 16th June 1756 with the rising of the sun illuminating a Franco-Spanish advance………..

AUSTRIAN ARMY OF ITALY ; 45,000 = 45 Points.

C-in-C  Joseph Wenziel, Prince Lichtenstein   @ 1 point.

( Lichtenstein was ill on the day therefore General Browne took charge.)

General Ulysses Von Brown.  @ 1 point.

3 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point  = 3 points.

5 stands of Line Infantry  @ 2 points = 10 points.

2 stands of  Grenadier Infantry  @  3 points = 6 points.

General Antoniotto Botta d'Adorno  @ 1 point.

2 stands of Light  Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

5 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 points = 10 points.

1 stand of  Grenadier Infantry  @  3 points.

The Cavalry; General Bernklau; @ 1 point.

3 stands of Dragoons  @ 2 points = 6 points.

1 stand of  Hussars  @  1 point.

FRANCO-SPANISH ARMY ; 

THE FRENCH ARMY; 15,000 = 15 points.

Jean-Baptiste Francois Desmarets Marquis of Maillebois @ 1 point.

1 stand of Grenadiers  @ 3 points.

4 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 points = 8 points.

1 stand of Light Infantry  @ 1 point.

1 stand of Light Artillery  @ 1 point.

1 stand of Light Cavalry  @  1 point.

THE SPANISH ARMY; 25,000 = 25 points.

Jean Bonaventure Thierry du Mont 1st Count of Gages  @ 1 point.

1 stand of Grenadiers @ 3 points.

7 stands of  Line Infantry @ 2 points = 14 points.

1 stand of Light  Infantry @ 1 point.

2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

2 stands of  Cavalry  @ 2 points = 4 points.

Note: After I wrote up this article,I found a paragraph online that said that there were 3000 Spanish Cavalrymen on foot with the army. This would not be unusual as the Spanish Mounted arm suffered from a constant lack of horses. Therefore one stand of Spanish Cavalrymen can be replaced with two stands of dismounted Cavalrymen at 1point each. They would still have the yellow Coat and trousers and may have replaced their riding boots with leather gaiters ( French : boutines?). They are classed as Light Infantry for movement etc

THE BATTLE;

* The Franco-Spanish army moves first and fires first on every Game-Turn.

* The French and Spanish artillery can move but must stay within the defenseworks.

* The Austrian stands controlled by Browne can move forward over the Refudo from the start of Game-Turn 4. Those stands commanded by Adorno and Bernklau can move but must stay behind the defenceworks.

* The Austrians keep the Initiative Point for the entire battle. 

* The hedges along the river bank do not impede movement or firing.

* Any stands being moved into any of the rivers must stop moving. They can be moved out of the river on the next Game-Turn. 

* Any Spanish or French stands firing whilst standing in the River Refudo must deduct two points from their firing die in addition to a 2 point deduction when firing at a target behind the defenseworks.

* The French and Spanish Infantry stands have one point added to their Close Combat die roll. ( to reflect their bravado born out of desperation and despair).

The River Po can only be crossed by moving through Piacenza.

* All the field defenses count as " Trench" for Firing and Combat.

VICTORY;

The Spanish and French have it all to do in this battle as they are on the attack. Therefore;

* The French and Spanish must attack for the entire Eight Game-turns or until their morale points reach Zero.

* Should their Morale points reach Zero before the Eight Game-Turns are complete, the game ends.

*If the Franco-Spanish army has 12 stands left on the battlefield including both Generals at the end of the Game. it is a draw

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Historical Note.

This is a hard Game for the Franco-Spanish Army. The Austrian Generals seem to know what Gages had decided to do, and let the terrain and the numerous drainage ditches do the work for them. Gages maintained that the Austrians had spies in his camp.

At one point General Maillebois himself was in the front line, fighting with his men to try and maintain their morale.

The Austrians did not follow up their victory with a pursuit, letting the Franco-Spanish army retreat through Piacenza and across the Po River. The victory assured any potential enemies that the Austrian Empress was still prepared to fight for her realm!.

The 5th Century in Britannia part 11; Arthurs 9th Battle ; "The City of Legions" [ Caerleon, Southern Wales ] June 489 AD.

 This article is my personal interpretation of events at this time. any mistakes are my own.

Having lost the previous battle of GUINNION FORT, Arthur,s army retreated back toward Caerleon. Units of Light Archers and Cavalry provided a rearguard forestalling any immediate pursuit. They were helped by the restrictive terrain.

Sending a messenger at the gallop to warn the Garrison, Arthur holds a brief Council with his Generals, Owain, Cadwy and Rogatainus. The decision is made to make a stand on the western bank of the Afon Lwyd, two hours distant from Caerleon.

The Britons have one day to prepare before Scouts arrive, warning of the approach of the Picts and the Riatans, [ the Scots-Irish ].  Arthur orders  materials bought from the fortress and his men manage to build a rough barricade across the front of the army.

After twelve hours, the enemy army arrives. Arthurs Commitatus is drawn up each side of the road behind their barricade, facing east. Across the river, the Scots and Picts fan out and form up on the eastern bank. Both armies watch each other through the night. The Picts and Scots sit around their campfires. Arthur,s men sleep under arms.

In the darkness some of the Britons press for an attack.  Arthur will not countenance such an action. if it went wrong the Britons would be caught disorganised, in the dark on the wrong side of the river. Some wonder why they don’t retreat to Caerleon..

Arthur holds another brief Council in the darkness. He wants to maintain the chance of maneuver.To sit behind the walls would only embolden the enemy. Those Kings who disliked Arthur would not help. It would be a slow death. Better to fight in the open. Victory or death were the only options……

As the sun rises, the Holy Men of both sides invoke their respective Deities for victory. The leaders of the Allied Tribes browbeat their warriors into line promising great riches when they sweep the Britons aside and sack Caerleon.

Within the Briton Commitatus, the bucinae are sounded and the ranks are formed. Arthur is proud of his soldiers. They might not be the Legions of old, but they uphold the fighting spirit of those auguste formations.

The shouting and thunder of spears on shields reaches a crescendo as the Picts and Scots build themselves up for the charge. As this is happening, Arthur canters up and down the line bellowing his Warcry "DEUS ET PRIDAIN!! " which is taken up by the men as they raise their weapons in the air.

As both sides shout their defiance at each other, the Picts and Scots launch their assault. The fate of the Briton Kingdoms hangs in the balance........

THE BRITON COMMITATUS.

5000 = 5 points x 8 = 40 points.

Arthur  ( The Pendragon )  @  3 points.

4 stands of Veteran Infantry  @  2pts = 8 points.

3 stands of Auxilliary Infantry  @ 2pts  = 6 points.

2 stands of Light Archers  @ 1pt  = 2 points.

Cadwy  @  1 point.

Owain  ( Cavalry Commander )  @ 2 points.

Iddon’s Militia:

Rogatainus  @  1pt.

2 stands of Militia Light Archers  @ 1pt = 2 points.

3 stands of Militia Infantry  @  2pts = 6 points.

2 stands of Auxilliary Cavalry  @ 2pts = 4 points.

Arthur’s Bucellarii @ 3 points.

THE SCOTS-IRISH:

3,000 = 3 points x 8 = 24 points.

Laun Mac Eric  @ 1pt.

3 stands of Archers/Slingers @ 1pt  = 3 points.

9 stands of Warriors Infantry  @  2pts = 18 points.

THE PICTS:

3,000 = 3 points x 8 = 24 points.

Briacat @ 1 points.

7 stands of  Warriors  @ 2 points = 14 points.

3 stands of Seaxon Warriors ( Saxons) @ 2pts =  6 pts.

3 stands of Light Archers/ Crossbowmen @ 1pt = 3pts.

THE ACTION:

* The Britons keep the Initiative Point for the battle.

* Any tied results go to the Britons.

* On Game-Turn 1, the Scots-Irish and Picts move first.

* From Game-Turn 2 onward, both sides die to see who moves first.

* Stands cannot be moved once they enter the river. They can only be moved out of of the river on the movement phase of the next Game-Turn. On each Game-Turn the stand is in a river it can be moved one square along the river.

* Stands cannot fire or throw weapons while positioned in the river.

* Stands being under attack in Close Combat, or attacking in Close Combat, while positioned in a river must deduct 2 points from each Combat Die.

* On the Web, the River Lwyd has been known as the Torfaen, " The Breaker of Stones" because it was prone to surges. The Picts and Scots-Irish may not have been aware of this.

* Morale Points; the Britons have 20 points. The Picts have 12 points. The Scots-Irish have 12 points.

* As a stand becomes a casualty, its points  will be deducted from its respective Army morale total.

VICTORY;

The game finishes at the end of eight Game-Turns and/or  when one side suffers a morale collapse.

With the Scots-Irish and Picts, should one group suffer a morale collapse, that part of the army will retreat regardless of the state of the other half. The Saxons go with the Picts.

THE HISTORY;

As before, this article is total conjecture. Apart from the title of the battle given by Nennius, and that it was at, or near Caerleon, no other details exist. Therefore, once again I turned to the Ordnance Survey map of Roman Britain and Topographical maps on the net.

The battle site I chose seemed the most logical, and seemed to offer the best defensive capabilities. The Afon Lwyd does suffer from surges depending on the amount of rainfall.  In moderns times the river has suffered from Industrial pollution which local groups have worked hard to clean up.

It seems that the 5th century was a "wet" era with intense rainfall all over Europe.

 Given the time it takes to cover the distances involved [ according to the Net ], this would give Arthurs army time to prepare.

One of Arthurs main assets was his small Cavalry force which he would want to use to its best advantage. The numbers of troops I've given are my own estimates, taking into account losses from the previous battle.

I leave it to you dear reader to decide wether I have done justice to it all.